Trashmageddon: Living in a Dying World

Path
Seeking Truth in a World of Lies

Path
Special Edition

For travelers in Peru a special edition of PATH can be purchased in bookstores in Cusco and Machu Picchu.

Quite recently I was visited by a friend who, during our conversation, said that he was appreciating my efforts contributing to a change I want to see in the world, yet he added, that he thought that I was wasting my time trying, since nothing ever changes regardless of how much corruption and crime is exposed.

Hearing the truth in his words, for a moment I imagined the joy I would undoubtedly experience by removing myself from all the negativity, stupidity, sickness, deception, corruption and evil I see in the world, focusing instead on my private life, dedicating myself to my beautiful family and my work. But that joy begins to vanish when I imagine my 3 year old daughter speaking to me in 30 years, asking what I could have done to make this world a better place?

What would I answer her if I were silent now?

One doesn’t need to be an environmentalist to see the ongoing destruction of our planet. One doesn’t need to be a doctor to diagnose the illness of this world.

One doesn’t need to be a genius to see the cliff we are approaching, rapidly gather momentum. One only needs to pay attention to see it all.

Staying up late that night I was thinking about the mass fish and bird deaths worldwide (1) , millions of dying bees (2), rivers catching fire (3), air sold in bottles (4), cancer rates skyrocketing, reaching epidemic proportions ( 5), and other things which I thought would be exciting scenes for a science fiction horror movie shown on the big screen. But real life events evoke other feelings.

If I were religious person, I would think humanity was cursed and what we seeing now is Judgment day in slow motion. But since I’m not, I rather think it has to do with the environmental pollution caused by the industries of death. From their limited perspective, life is seen as opportunity to profit, a resource on the quest to wealth.

How strange it is to measure human progress in the amount of trash we produce, piles of which soon will compete in height with the magnificent Andes. (6)

How foolish it is to think that an economic model built on the skeletons of nature and misery of the people is sustainable and destined to last.

How depressingly stupid it is to turn our planet into a moon before realizing that we cannot eat, drink or breathe money.

What would money mean on a dead planet?

I kept thinking about how dangerous humanity has become with an ability to smash an atom while being unable to recycle mountains of trash or having capability manipulate genetics yet failing to recognize consciousness even in human beings, let alone in other forms of life. Is this what we are to call progress? Is this evolution?

How much have we evolved if we cherish oil and shiny metals more than life itself? (7) Does sucking our planet dry and letting our kids inherit debris seem to be intelligent? Evolved?

It doesn’t take being a prophet to see into the future from where we are now. Collapse of eco-systems due to extreme pollution is rather a logical consequence than a prophetic vision. To see the world which once was thriving, smoldering, is like expecting puddles after rain.

I would imagine evolution as being an evolution of human consciousness maturing into a resonance with the planetary mind, realizing itself as being a part of the whole. At that level of connection, trashing the environment would be unthinkable like poisoning our own bodies.

So the question arises:

“Can we still turn things around and bring about real change?”

I think we can if we come together and defend our human right to exist and enjoy a healthy social and natural environment which is the birthright of each human being.